Posted on 06/30/2005 12:12:26 PM PDT by Ramonan
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(June 30, 2005) -- Even after discovering and processing mounds of enemy weapons caches during their recent deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom last fall, many Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment had never pulled the trigger on an AK-47.
These Marines got the chance to gauge the effectiveness of the enemy's weapon of choice during a live-fire exercise with the AK-47 assault rifle here June 23.
"Learning a new weapons system is just like learning a new language. The more you practice it, the better off you will be in battle when your weapon system goes down or malfunctions, and you have to pick up an enemy's weapon and put it to use," said Cpl. Tim Egnoski, a squad leader with 3rd Bn., 1st Marines.
Before the Marines sent rounds downrange, they first learned the basics of the weapon by practicing loading and unloading it and learning how to activate the safety lever.
The AK-47 is quite different from the M-16A2 service rifle -- the weapon all Marines become intimately acquainted with from the day they enter the Marine Corps.
The weapon's full name is the Avtomat Kalashnikova, 1947. The automatic weapon was developed by the famed Kalashnikov gun works in 1947, at the dawn of the Cold War. The world knows it by its initials the AK-47.
Simple to use and deadly efficient, the AK-47 is one of the most influential guns of the 20th century.
"Almost all the enemy fighters I saw in Iraq were using the AK-47," said Lance Cpl. Daniel O'Brien, a machinegunner with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. "We got to fire a few of them in Iraq, but we weren't able to actually spend some time to learn just how accurate it is compared to our weapons system. Having familiarity with different equipment makes Marines more useful on the battlefield. If you have to, you pick up another one and get back into the fight and that is what is important."
I had a friend who was pretty much up on the M14's and before he died he gave me his opinion which I will pass on.
He said the Polytech M14's were ok but the smaller parts were not up to standard. The stocks were also poor. He said their receivers were forged and excellent probably better than the Springfield M1A although the Springfield were better overall.
He said he had heard that Springfield had a spotty reputation with some cracked receivers.
They did. At least in the 3/1 of whom I belonged. I can still field strip one pretty licketysplit.
Army is "Ain't ready for Marines yet".
Oops, number 61 was intended as a reply to you, not myself.
Newbies swallow!
Armalite was the original designer (well Eugene Stoner working for Armalite). Colt just had the production contract. Now most M-16s are made by FN in South Carolina, but the M-4 variants are still made by Colt.
If you want a target gun, buy a decent bolt action rifle. If you want a firearm that will function with a bunch of crap in the receiver, build yourself an AK (or an FAL :>)...
;>)
School of Infantry. You don't need to confuse the poor pogues.
You heard wrong. While that is sometimes true, it ain't always so.
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was really a pretty nice guy. He was a young soldier, wounded in WW-II, when he designed the Avtomat Kalashnikova Obrazets 1947)
Fortunately, nobody was killed or injured, although a big chunk of the round landed a few feet from my buddy who was standing guard at the entrance to the range. More than a few of us had to change our underwear when we got back to the cantonment area. And I understand that at least one officer in the artillery unit got relieved.
The next time we were on the range and we heard artillery rounds in the impact area we all ducked a little.
So do the Iraqi security forces. So many of the things lying around you know. Every home in Iraq is allowed to keep one. Wish we could do that here. (although I'd rather have an M-16, or maybe one of what the Swiss use)
The early stuff wasn't bad, with the Polytech better than the Norinco. I think it was made to their military standards. The latter stuff AK's and SKS's made specifically for the US civilian market, (yea I know they use different nomenclature) were made piecemeal, with parts made in cottages and villages, then assembled in other cottages and villages. I've got an early import SKS clone, and I'd say it's quality is appropriate for a Russian/Chinese military weapon. The newer ones I've seen are often junk, albeit sometimes with nicer wood.
Ok, ok...
Yeah, the AR has a crappy design re the gases. But it is still a great carry thru the boonies battle rifle. And if you are doing hit and runs, being able to do so 100 yds outside of the adversary's sweet spot is a definite advantage.
One other thing.. 762x39 is lots heavier in bulk than 223/556. Try the difference between ten 30-round mags of 762 as opposed to 223. Especially if they are in the much heavier AK mags.
I do agree about the FAL in one respect (two if you count the gas system), it comes in my fav-O-rite calibur.. 308. The FAL and the M14 are my fav rifles.
You want "junk", try an Egyptian Maadi. Thick black paint finish that looks like it was put on with a 4" exterior house paint-brush.
If it 'runs' with a receiver & magazine full of sand, I'll ignore the paint job.
FWIW, if 'you want "quality" & "reliability," try a Hungarian AMD' (or an FAL, of course, if you want the best ;>)...
;>)
The finish isn't anything extra but no worse than most other AK-47's I have seen. The quality of the internal machining, fit, etc. was better than average.
I also have owned several Helwan's made by Maadi and they are the same. Plain finish but very well made overall. They also function perfectly and have proved better than most in accuracy. I still have one. The only thing I would down grade them on is the mags really don't look very good but they actually are ok.
IIRC, I read a Peter Kokalis piece many moons ago that claimed that klack was an intentional design flaw introduced by Old Kalishnikov's number two man on the design team... who happened to be an American operative.
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